West Texas city says thinking green in April works all year around

In West Texas, trees aren’t native. That means if the people of West Texas want trees, they have to plant them. With that in mind, Midland, Texas, is celebrating 30 Days of Green this April with events all month long to plant and clean this West Texas town.

Midland citizens are recognizing April as more than just the month for Earth Day on April 21. They are especially interested in Arbor Day on April 27. April is also National Garden Month.

This year, Midland will be planting a total of 100 trees in three different parks in celebration of Earth Day. The Keep Midland Beautiful (KMB) organization will host the plantings.

Doreen Richardson, executive director of KMB, is in charge of April events, which will also encourage recycling and waste reduction.

Keep Midland Beautiful has an impressive list of accomplishments, especially with programs aimed at litter cleanup. Since 1983, litter in Midland has dropped by 95 percent, thanks to programs like “Adopt a Spot” and “Pick up some trash and pick up some cash.”

Trees are an essential part of the program for many reasons.

Richardson pointed out that trees help to decrease home temperatures by up to 20 degrees during hot summer months. This can lower energy costs by 10 to 15 percent.

Trees also block sound, lowering noise pollution, and they provide homes for wildlife. Perhaps most importantly, however, trees are a natural form of air filter. Trees use carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Each year, a single mature tree absorbs up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide. In turn, it releases enough oxygen to support two humans.